Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with K Tak of Koreatown

We’re looking forward to introducing you to K Tak. Check out our conversation below.

Good morning K, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
It’s so funny that you asked this question! Recently I’ve been feeling a very strong desire to change myself, so I actually created a new morning routine for the first hour after I wake up. For such a long time, I used to wake up, reach for my phone with sleepy eyes, and scroll through everything that happened in the world while I was asleep, most of it not even important, yet I wasted so much time.

Now, I’ve promised myself that I won’t look at my phone at all during the first hour of my day. I get up, make my bed, go to the bathroom to brush my teeth, then choose a cup of tea depending on how I feel that day. While the tea is brewing, I open the windows to let in fresh air and light a candle. Then, while I drink my tea, I start with the tasks I really don’t want to do. My worst habit has always been procrastinating things I dread, especially the important and heavy tasks. So now I tackle them first thing in the morning, so that by the time I’m with my tattoo clients later in the day, I can focus fully on them without any lingering stress.

After finishing the mentally heavy tasks, then I finally allow myself to check my phone. So far, this routine has been working really well for me and has helped ease a lot of the anxiety I used to carry around.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi, my name is K and I run Banana Tattoo LA, a tattoo studio based in Los Angeles. I’m the owner, a tattoo artist, and also a tattoo instructor at UCLA Extension. Something quite unique about Banana Tattoo is that since we opened in 2019, our entire team has been made up exclusively of Korean women tattoo artists. That naturally shaped our studio culture into something very warm, empowering, and artistically driven.

Another thing I’m proud of is that I am currently teaching the first officially approved tattoo course within the UC school system. Teaching tattoo history and culture has been a big challenge, but also incredibly meaningful. My students are thoughtful, talented, and very kind, and it’s been amazing to see how they approach tattooing not only as a craft, but as a serious art form and cultural language.

Right now, I’m continuing to grow both Banana Tattoo LA and my work as an educator. My biggest goal is to help people understand tattoos beyond just aesthetics, to see them as identity, storytelling, and connection.

Okay, so here’s a deep one: What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
When I think about this question, I honestly can’t think of anyone other than my husband, David Yi. As a fellow artist, he believed in my potential even when I had nothing and hadn’t achieved anything yet. I think that kind of faith is incredibly important. When there is even one person who believes in your potential more than you do, that faith can really ground you when you start feeling insecure about yourself.

Of course, he doesn’t just tell me I’m great at everything, he’s actually quite a strict teacher. He always points out areas I can improve, guides me, and constantly helps me become a better version of myself. I raise a lot of plants, and it makes me so happy when something I’ve cared for grows well. Sometimes I wonder if that’s how David feels when he teaches me. Haha He always tells me he’s even happier than I am when I accomplish something. He’s truly an amazing mentor. Without him, I don’t think I would still be tattooing today.

When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
When I first came to the U.S., I think I developed a bit of an obsession with appearing “okay.” Looking back, it makes total sense that English felt uncomfortable for me, I didn’t grow up speaking it, and I moved here when I was already older. But because I was constantly surrounded by people who spoke English naturally, I felt like I had to pretend it was never difficult for me. I was afraid that if I showed any struggle, people would see me as different or not fully belonging.

So I acted like a bright, cheerful person all the time, laughing things off and pretending I was always relaxed and “chill.” But that’s really not who I am. Someone once said that the bigger the gap between who you really are and how you want others to see you, the more depressed you become, and I think that was true for me. It helped me get through life back then, but eventually I started to hate speaking English at all. Once I wasn’t forced to constantly socialize in English, I lost the desire to try, and over time, I felt like I became worse at it.

But maybe it’s age, or perspective. Eventually I realized something simple: the fact that English isn’t my first language is obvious to anyone with ears. I was the only one obsessing over it. People don’t care nearly as much as I thought they did. After that, I finally felt more at peace. I accepted that I grew up in Korea, moved to the U.S. later in life, and English simply isn’t my native language, and that’s okay.

Maybe that sounds lazy, Haha. I am still working on becoming more comfortable with English again. But accepting this has actually helped me do more. I don’t have to pretend anymore, and that has been incredibly freeing.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Is the public version of you the real you?
Yes and no. I keep a very clear boundary between my work life and my personal life. I don’t necessarily hide who I am, but I definitely separate the two. When I’m working, I focus more on my clients’ feelings than my own, which I think is natural, because they’re trusting me with something that will stay on their bodies forever. I want them to feel happy, comfortable, and like their time with me was meaningful. To honor that trust, I also push myself to constantly improve so I don’t have to compromise on quality. That’s why, on Instagram or when I’m interacting with clients, I always try to be warm, caring, and kind.

My personal life is completely different. I am much more unfiltered. I spend most of my time lying down and being quiet, and I can be quite blunt. I prefer rational, direct communication, and I usually just say what needs to be said. With the people I am closest to, I often reply with very short answers and I do not even use emojis. I genuinely enjoy being alone, reading, drawing, or taking care of my plants. I naturally have a low energy level, so I really dislike loud environments and crowded places.

I also believe that the emotional care I give my clients is part of the service I provide, so I do my best. That is why, when clients ask if we can hang out outside the tattoo shop, I usually say no. I want to be remembered as the version of me they meet in the studio, not the one who cannot maintain that same energy all the time. Thankfully, everyone has understood, and I’m truly grateful for that.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What will you regret not doing? 
Not challenging myself to face the things I am afraid of. When I was younger, if something scared me or felt uncomfortable, I would do everything I could to avoid it. But as I got older, something changed. I realized that the scarier something feels, the more I probably need to face it. If you run away once, it feels like the problem disappears, but eventually life brings you back to the same challenge again in a different form.

When I finally force myself to face something I fear, the sense of accomplishment is huge. It is not even about succeeding or doing it perfectly. Even if I struggle or do it badly, the fact that I did not run away makes me feel proud. I can tell myself, “Well, at least I did not hide from it.” That alone lifts my self-esteem.

So now I have decided that whenever something makes me feel scared, I will face it head on. I do not want to look back later and regret that I never even tried.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.bananatattoola.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ktattoola/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/banana-tattoo-los-angeles